Mashable

A Nation of Creators

30 of the brightest tech innovations from the UK

A Nation of Creators

30 of the brightest tech innovations from the UK

By The UK's Department for International Trade

Paid Content by The UK's Department for International Trade

The UK is a world-leading hub for business with an unrivalled network of experienced and innovative companies. Our businesses offer exceptional products and services that have transformed the day-to-day lives of people around the world.

The UK has been home to some of the most genius inventions. Did you know the first photograph was pioneered on our group of islands? That UK physicists, developers and innovative minds have disrupted all areas of lives across the globe? The UK’s rich history of innovation and invention has provided the world with ideas and products we can’t live without - the mobile phone you could be reading this article on began as the humble telephone back in 1876.

This year marks three decades of Mobile World Congress – a place where homegrown talent is on display for the world to see – and in celebration we’re rounding up 30 of the most interesting innovative ideas to come out of the UK.

ReTrack

Upping your cycling game is a whole lot easier thanks to ReTrack – the wearable that’s tracking just how well your ride’s really going. ReTrack tracks all the twists and turns of your ride, creating a 3D animation of your journey for you to analyse, store and compare with other performances and competitors. You can relive each ride on your smartphone, tablet or computer from all angles, opening up a whole new world of analysis – you can ride smarter with ReTrack.

ARM

We’re willing to bet ARM technology is in your mobile phone right now – the company has made a huge contribution to the mobile world. It’s the UK supergiant you never knew existed. One of the world’s most prolific providers of microprocessor IP, ARM technology is shaping the connected world as we know it – over 86 billion ARM-based chips have been shipped to the world to date. The tech behind chips at the heart of almost every device you interact with every day takes root in this Cambridge-based company – one that began with just a dozen engineers working out of a barn in 1990.

ESP Group

To Londoners the word Oyster means something a little different to slippery shellfish, and that’s thanks to one innovative UK company. ESP Group is the big name behind the way the 8.5 million London residents and countless commuters make their way around. In fact, beyond the revolutionary Oyster card system, ESP Group are involved in travel at every juncture - information, customer support, assistance, ticketing, payment, booking, feedback, social media and delay repay – they’re behind it all.

Onfido

In today’s world we’re working with people from different continents seamlessly – in a lot of cases employers don’t get to actually meet their employees in the sharing economy, so how do they know exactly who they have on the books? Onfido is the UK company pioneering identity verification and background check tech in-keeping with today’s working world. Using machine learning, Onfido can verify the identity of potential employees without you ever having to personally encounter them – and carry out background checks to ensure they’re fit for the work.

Darktrace

Cyber criminality is a huge issue worldwide – our safety online is under threat from malware, ransomware and a whole host of malevolent tech every day. Darktrace is the world leader in machine learning that’s battling cyber threat on the front line. The company’s intelligent Enterprise Immune System detects and contains threats before you even know they’re there - its AI algorithms mimic the human immune system and have identified over 30,000 previously unknown network threats, helping business owners sleep safe in the knowledge that their network is under strict surveillance.

Graphene

At about 300 times the strength of steel, graphene is the world’s strongest material. It’s also the lightest and the thinnest – and it was first discovered by two scientists at the University of Manchester, who went on to win the nobel prize for physics for their work. Graphene’s properties lend it the potential to completely revolutionise the world we live in – it’s the world’s first 2D material, conducts both electricity and heat and is completely transparent. With the potential to disrupt travel, biomedicine, energy and a vast array of other industries, graphene is pegged to cause a ruckus the world over – all out of the University of Manchester.

Dyson

Making the everyday work better is the ethos that lies at the heart of Dyson. As arguably the UK’s most innovative living inventor, James Dyson has taken a whole host of appliances we use regularly and made them, well, better. The Dyson vacuum cleaner is definitely Dyson’s most recognisable staple offering, but the company’s innovative genius can be found drying hands in your local bathroom, regulating temperatures in your home and even now styling your hair – Dyson’s energy efficient devices bring the utmost in performance to everyday life, streamlining life along the way.

Azuri Indigo pay-as-you-go solar

Unlimited access to power is a luxury not available to the whole world, but there’s a company doing their bit to battle this inequality in Africa. Azuri’s Indigo system allows you to sign up for a pay-as-you-go power contract, with all that power being sourced from the most natural source – the sun. Thanks to Indigo, communities in rural Africa are able to benefit from solar power whilst only paying for what they use, creating an affordable, sustainable power solution where it’s needed most.

Cambridge Intelligence

In today’s world we live and breathe data – the world is connected, powered and informed via the gargantuan amounts of data transferred every day. How organisations analyse, interpret and use this data to their advantage is a challenge being addressed by Cambridge Intelligence – the company that’s leading the pack in helping companies gain insight into their connected data. Cambridge Intelligence’s KeyLines JavaScript toolkit puts the power of insight into the hands of businesses, allowing them to interact with their data within a customisable platform.

The telephone

“Mr Watson, come here, I want you” were the first words ever transmitted via telephone. That was back in 1876 right here in the UK, and just look at where telecomms are now. Today we can contact our very own Mr Watson – or anyone at all – night or day, across continents in real-time. The invention of the telephone is one of the most innovative, revolutionary events of modern day - and as something quintessentially British it’s a homegrown invention that’s done wonders for the world.

World Wide Web

It’s hard to believe that the world wide web is less than 30 years old. Today’s teens know nothing of a life before the web, and that’s thanks to British computer scientist Sir Tim Berners-Lee. A graduate from Oxford University, Berners-Lee began his groundbreaking work while working at CERN in Switzerland, after noticing the difficulty employees had in sharing information. Creating HTTP, HTML and URI - now known as URL - Berners-Lee built the foundations of the web and watched its expansion across the globe unfold.

Raspberry Pi

A decidedly more modern invention than the radar or telephone, the Raspberry Pi computer is a fine example of British tech at its best. Disrupting education the world over by providing low-cost, high performance computers, Raspberry Pi allows people to learn in an interactive, intelligent environment that’s engaging for all. As the best-selling British computer, the Raspberry Pi has sold over 12 million of its single-board computing devices, helping communities in developing countries and beyond tackle the basics of computer science for less.

Geostationary Satellite

The idea of geostationary satellites was being circulated around the end of World War II, when Britain at large was likely preoccupied with how their immediate future would pan out than how machines in space could change their lives. Arthur C. Clarke – a sci-fi author – began spreading the word about how satellites could revolutionise global communications in 1945, suggesting that satellites could be used to transmit TV signals. Beyond this, Clarke theorised the exact distance such satellites would need to be from the earth to ensure a 24-hour orbit – we won’t delve into the physics of this, but we will tell you this makes it geostationary – and thus the idea of a satellite transmitting radio around the clock was born right here in the UK.

Radio Waves

While Italian inventor Guglielmo Marconi is widely credited for his work with radio waves, there was a Brit working on just how radio would work years earlier. David Hughes is well recognised for his work with the carbon microphone and early telephone mechanisms, but his work had hidden depth. His carbon microphone invention led him to the ability of transmitting sound into one device to be heard by a separate counterpart device – the earliest discovery of what is now thought to have been radio waves.

Radar

The British physicists at the heart of radar technology were making waves – literally – back in the mid-19th Century. Although research began long before, the first practical radar system was pioneered by Sir Robert Watson-Watt in 1935, creating the beginnings of an English radar system that stretched along the country’s south and east coasts to detect threats from air and sea. A staple detection mechanism throughout World War II, the radar system became increasingly more intelligent throughout the mid-20th Century, able to detect enemy aircraft in all weather conditions and at any time.

Wind-up radio

At the risk of painting the UK as a radio-mad, frequency-frenzied isle of comms pioneers, it’s time to talk about the wind-up radio. Invented by Trevor Baylis, the battery-less radio aimed to provide radio in developing countries where educational programming was limited. Baylis had the idea while watching a documentary about how a lack of education was fuelling the spread of AIDs in Africa – wildly, the first wind-up radio prototype was mocked up in under half an hour.

Jet Engine

Moving on from all things radio, the prolific work of a Coventry-born RAF officer brings us to the next great UK innovation. Sir Frank Whittle’s contribution to the invention of the jet engine began in his cadet days – Whittle wrote a thesis on how aircrafts needed to travel at both high altitude and speed, and set about experimenting with ways this could be possible. Fast forward a few years and Whittle’s jet engine spread its wings for the first time in May of 1941. Shortly after, a team in the US heard the tale of the jet engine and began their own work, following Whittle’s engineering example.

Photography

Do you remember a time before taking a photo simply meant unlocking your smartphone and snapping away? The earliest imaging technology was actually pioneered in the UK by Fox Talbot in 1834, and it’s safe to say photography has come on leaps and bounds since then. Talbot’s first photographs didn’t even use a camera – he placed objects onto paper covered with light-sensitive silver chloride and exposed it to the sunlight. Imagine going to that effort for your next Instagram photo.

Automated Teller Machine

This particular invention is a popular one. The ATM - “hole in the wall”, cash machine, money tree, you name it – was actually invented in the UK by John Shepherd-Barron. Frustrated with not being able to withdraw money when his bank was closed, Shepherd-Barron came up with his ATM innovation in 1940, pitching the idea to the chief general manager of Barclays Bank over a pink gin one lunchtime. And to put in good measure, Shepherd-Barron can also be thanked for the idea of the four-digit PIN – though he’s not to blame for the amount of times you’ve forgotten yours.

Carbon Fiber

One of the many inventions to come out of the UK military, carbon fiber has myriad uses in today’s world. As a strong, lightweight material, carbon fiber has wound its way into the manufacturing of thousands of areas, from motorbikes to sports equipment.

Blippar

Moving forward somewhat drastically, the innovative company making waves in the augmented reality space in the UK is Blippar. Creating custom augmented reality for brands and businesses to engage with their customers in a more personal way, Blippar is harnessing computer learning and AI in a unique, forward-thinking way. With Blippar, companies can gain a better understanding of how they’re perceived in the world, shaping their messaging accordingly.

Insignia Technologies

As we hurtle through today’s digital age, innovation is certainly becoming “smarter” in a techie sense at least. Insignia Technologies is the Scottish startup that’s bringing “smart” to the mundane: labels. Working mainly in food packaging, Insignia Technologies’ labels act as an indicator of when food is past its best - the packaging changes colour, thanks to extensive research into sensing technologies from the team behind the packaging.

Universal Turing Machine

Pegged as one of the “founding fathers” of computer science, Alan Turing’s work in the tech sphere was impactful. The complexities of his Turing machine are many and varied, but the UTM laid the foundation for any modern computer capable of copying a file from one medium to another.

Deliveroo

Recognising a major gap in the UK market has been the ultimate key to Deliveroo’s success. An online company that links restaurants which don’t typically deliver with the homes that want delivery, Deliveroo has exploded onto the scene in a big way since its inception in 2013. A staple name in today’s “sharing economy” trend, Deliveroo drivers are self-employed, carrying out deliveries on flexible, manageable timetables. Most importantly, Deliveroo gave me the power to order a Nando’s from my sofa, and that’s what the people truly want today.

Waterproof Material

The next time you get caught in the rain and have to pull out your waterproofs, know that you have Scotland to thank for the breakthrough discovery. Glasgow-born Charles Macintosh – the name behind Mackintosh raincoats – invented the waterproof raincoat back in 1824. Without delving too deep into the chemistry of this, Macintosh’s work with a chemical called naphtha led to his discovery of a way to fuse two fabrics together with natural rubber, getting rid of the hassle of rainy days.

GiveVision

Living with impaired vision is a struggle that many people face. The SightPlus is a device that’s innovating in the vision technology space, providing a way to ease difficulty for those with impaired vision. The device is wearable and hands-free, bringing the world back into focus for those who struggle daily with their sight.

Infi-Tex

Sensory tech is something you’ll likely be hearing a lot more about over the coming years. And there’s a UK company that’s pushing the boundaries of textiles with sensory tech – smart clothes could well be on the horizon. Infi-Tex create intelligent, pressure-sensitive materials that can be printed into textiles. The company will be unveiling their InfiSole at this year’s Mobile World Congress, which can be easily integrated into footwear, and can be used to capture generated data. The InfiSole could be big news for a range of fields – Diabetics could use the device in training, step counting and walking whereas the entertainment sector could see drastic changes – gaming could be worn on the feet.

What3words

Mapping the world is about to take a new turn. What3words is revolutionising the way addressing works, by dividing the world into a three-metre by three-metre grid and giving each area a three word address. This simplifies location, ensuring that everyone the world over has an address – including the developing world.

Evrything

The Internet of Things has been a major buzz phrase of the past few years, but we’re yet to see any huge leaps and bounds taken in this sector. Bringing “smart” to our products is the goal of Evrything – their aim is to bring everything around us to life in the digital age. Connecting all of these products with the web is no mean feat, and Evrything is using intelligent data to inform their offering, leading us towards an increasingly connected world.

GyroGlove

Medicine graduate Faii Ong had the idea for the GyroGlove while treating a patient with tremors – the patient was unable to feed themselves due to the tremors. The idea of the GyroGlove was born following this, as a way to give independence and control back to patients suffering with mobility issues in their hands.